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Equal Opportunity is the Law

Assuring equal opportunity in every program, service and benefit is essential to fulfilling our mission.

This page contains Equal Opportunity Information for:

Information for Customers

Workforce Solutions, as a recipient of Federal financial assistance, must provide the following notice that it does not discriminate on any prohibited ground:

Equal Opportunity is the Law (Español) / (Screen Reader Friendly Equal Opportunity is the Law Notice) (Español)

It is against the law for this recipient of Federal financial assistance to discriminate on the following bases:

against any individual in the United States, on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, sex stereotyping, transgender status, and gender identity), national origin (including limited English proficiency), age, disability, political affiliation or belief; and
against any beneficiary of programs financially assisted under Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), on the basis of the beneficiary's citizenship/status as a lawfully admitted immigrant authorized to work in the United States, or his or her participation in any WIOA Title I-financially assisted program or activity.

The recipient must not discriminate in any of the following areas:

deciding who will be admitted, or have access, to any WIOA Title I-financially assisted program or activity;
providing opportunities in, or treating any person with regard to, such a program or activity; or
making employment decisions in the administration of, or in connection with, such a program or activity.

What To Do If You Believe You Have Experienced Discrimination

If you think that you have been subjected to discrimination under a WIOA Title I-financially assisted program or activity, you may file a complaint within 180 days from the date of the alleged violation with either:

the recipient's Equal Opportunity Officer (or the person whom the recipient has designated for this purpose); or
the Director, Civil Rights Center (CRC), U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room N-4123, Washington, DC 20210.

If you file your complaint with the recipient, you must wait either until the recipient issues a written Notice of Final Action, or until 90 days have passed (whichever is sooner), before filing with the Civil Rights Center (see address above).

If the recipient does not give you a written Notice of Final Action within 90 days of the day on which you filed your complaint, you do not have to wait for the recipient to issue that Notice before filing a complaint with CRC. However, you must file your CRC complaint within 30 days of the 90-day deadline (in other words, within 120 days after the day on which you filed your complaint with the recipient).

If the recipient does give you a written Notice of Final Action on your complaint, but you are dissatisfied with the decision or resolution, you may file a complaint with CRC. You must file your CRC complaint within 30 days of the date on which you received the Notice of Final Action.

Recipient Equal Opportunity Officers to contact for discrimination concerns:
Workforce Solutions - Gulf Coast Workforce Board
Sabrina Parras, Equal Opportunity Officer
P.O. Box 22777
Houston, Texas 77227-2777
Phone: (713) 627-3200 / Fax: (713) 993-4578
Relay Texas: 711 or (800) 735-2989 (TTY/TDD) / (800) 735-2988 (Voice)

Texas Workforce Commission, Equal Opportunity Compliance Department
Jon Pokorney , TWC EO Officer
101 East 15^th Street, Room 556 Austin, Texas 78778
Phone: (512) 463-2400 / Fax: (512) 463-7804
Relay Texas: 711 or (800) 735-2989 (TTY/TDD) / (800) 735-2988 (Voice)

If you wish to file a complaint about Workforce Solutions' service, including a job you were sent to by Workforce Solutions, or if you believe you have been wrongfully denied a benefit or service, please ask to speak to your local office manager or you may contact:

Workforce Solutions
Customer Service Complaints
P.O. Box 22777
Houston, Texas 77227-2777
(713) 993-4539
Complaint information form

Complaint Forms

Wage Complaints
If you have a complaint about an employer not paying you on-time or not paying you your wages, your nearest Workforce Solutions office can take your information and file it with the Texas Workforce Commission which enforces the Texas payday laws and investigates complaints about unpaid wages.

TWC Wage Claim Form (Español)

Discrimination on the Job
If you have a complaint about discrimination on your job, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigates and resolves complaints about discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. EEOC also enforces ADA regulations.

These complaints can also be filed through Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division using the electronic TWC Employment Discrimination Complaint Form or hard copy PDF, TWC Employment Discrimination Complaint Form or by contacting:

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - Houston District Office
1919 Smith Street, 6th floor
Houston, TX 77002
(800) 669-4000
Fax: (713) 651-4987
TTY: (800) 669-6820
ASL Video Phone: (844) 234-5122

Your Rights Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (Español)

Federal Minimum Wage
$7.25 - beginning July 24, 2009

Overtime
At least 1-1/2 times your regular rate of pay for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek.

Child Labor
An employee must be at least 16 years old to work in most non-farm jobs and at least 18 to work in non-farm jobs declared hazardous by the secretary of labor. Youth 14 and 15 years old may work outside school hours in various non-manufacturing, non-mining, non-hazardous jobs under the following conditions:
No more than:

3 hours on a school day or 18 hours in a school week;
8 hours on a non-school day or 40 hours in a non-school week.
Also, work may not begin before 7 a.m. or end after 7 p.m., except from June 1 through Labor Day, when evening hours are extended to 9 p.m.
Different rules apply in agricultural employment.

Enforcement of the FLSA
The U.S. Department of Labor may recover back wages either administratively or through court action, for the employees who have been underpaid in violation of the law. Violations may result in civil or criminal action. Fines of up to $10,000 per violation may be assessed against employers who violate the child labor provisions of the law and up to $1,000 per violation against employers who willfully or repeatedly violate the minimum wage or overtime pay provisions. This law prohibits discriminating against or discharging workers who file a complaint or participate in any proceedings under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Please note:

Certain occupations and establishments are exempt from the minimum wage and/or overtime pay provisions.
Special provisions apply to workers in American Samoa.
Where state law requires a higher minimum wage, the higher standard applies.

For additional information, contact the federal Wage and Hour Division office in Houston
U.S. Department of Labor ESA Wage and Hour Division
8701 S. Gessner Drive, Suite 1164
Houston, Texas 77074
(713) 339-5525
1 (866) 487-9243 toll free

Further Questions? Contact Us

The Houston-Galveston Area Council, the Gulf Coast Workforce Board, and Workforce Solutions are equal opportunity employers and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other occupationally irrelevant criteria.

Information for Employers

Workforce Solutions is available to help with your Equal Opportunity and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance issues. Please call our Employer Service staff at (713) 688-6890 or toll free 1 (888) 469-5627 or email them at jobs@wrksolutions.com with any questions. Click here for additional information on equal opportunity and employment law topics.

Equal Opportunity is the Law
Workforce Solutions in accordance with the law and as a recipient of Federal financial assistance, prohibits discrimination on the following bases:

against any individual in the United States, on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation or belief; and
against any beneficiary of programs funded under Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), on the basis of the beneficiary's citizenship/status as a lawfully admitted immigrant authorized to work in the United States, or his/her participation in any WIOA Title I-financially assisted program or activity.

Workplace Posters
You can find and download required posters for the workplace at the link above.

e-Law Advisor
Online assistance from the U.S. Department of Labor about a variety of employment laws, regulations, and topics of interest for businesses.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (Houston office)
(713) 209-3320 or 1 (800) 669-4000 toll free 1919 Smith, 6th floor, Houston, TX 77002

U.S. Department of Labor Employment Standards Administration Wage and Hour Division (Houston office)
713.339.5525 or 1.866.487.9243 toll free
8701 S. Gessner Drive, Suite 1164, Houston, Texas 77074

U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Health and Safety Administration

Houston North Office
(281) 591-2438
507 North Sam Houston Parkway East, Suite 400, Houston, Texas 77060
Houston South Office
(281) 286-0583 or 1 (800) 692-4202 toll free
17625 El Camino Real, Suite 400, Houston, Texas 77058

Information for Staff

The Equal Opportunity Standards and Guidelines establish local procedures to comply with applicable disability and non-discrimination laws. All staff of Workforce Solutions and partnering agencies are responsible for adherence to these standards.

The standard states that all customers must be provided with a copy of the Orientation to Discrimination Complaint Form (Español) and shown the location of the Workforce Solutions Complaint Form (Español) . When the notice is given in an alternate format to accommodate a disability or limited English proficiency, it must be documented as part of the participant's file.

Complaint Guidelines:

Log complaints using either the Customer Service Complaint Log or the Discrimination Complaint Log
The Board can only work to resolve complaints about service in our system, including discrimination complaints about being denied a benefit or service by Workforce Solutions.
Take payday and unpaid wages complaints in your office and forward to TWC using the TWC Wage Claim Form (Español)
Refer individuals complaining about discrimination at a particular employer, including Americans with Disabilities Act related issues, to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Desk Aids:

Forms:

Additional Resources:

Board Level EO Officer

Workforce Solutions - Gulf Coast Workforce Board
Sabrina Parras, Equal Opportunity Officer
P.O. Box 22777
Houston, Texas 77227-2777
Phone: (713) 627-3200 / Fax: (713) 993-4578
Relay Texas: 711 or (800) 735-2989 (TTY/TDD) / (800) 735-2988 (Voice)

Local EO Officers

TWC Fraud / Program Abuse Hotline: 1.800.252.3642 toll free